Improvement in sewing-machine attachments for marking tucks



H. W. FULLER.

Sewing Machine Attachment for Marking Tucks.

Patented March 19; 1867.

nvenZort ZZizzeaaew I U ITED ElTr-iiur.s PATENT OFFICE.

11. W. FULLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINE;ATTACHMENTS FOR MARKING T UCKS;

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 63,033, dated March 19,1867.

To all whom it may concern: A

Be it known that I, H. W. FULLER, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Marking Fabrics, tofacilitate plaiting, tucking, and quilting; and I do herebydeclare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had tothe accompanying drawing, which forms part of thisspecification.

The first part of my invention consists in the use of what I have termedthe nippingfingers, substantially as hereinafter described, whenarranged in a diagonal position with respect to the surface of thefabric, as herein specified, by which they are caused to nip the fabricby thrusting them against it, while suitably held and supportedhorizontally; the second consists in the combination, with the apparatusand marking part thereof, of a plate to support the fabric, as hereindescribed, against the thrust of the-nipping-fingers; the third, in thecombining, with the nipping-fin gers, of an adjusting device to spreadthe fingers, for adapting theapparatus to various fabrics; the fourth,in attaching the nippingfingers to an arm' controlled by a spring, incombination with an auxiliary arm, or the equivalent thereof, to attachto the needle-arm, or, some moving part of a sewing-machine, as

, herein set forth; the fifth consists in the use,

in combination, of the nipping-fingers, arranged and acting as hereindescribed, the

I bed-plate supporting the fabric, and a suitable device, such-asordinarily used on sewing-machines, to feed or move the fabric in theinter val between each nipping action of the fingers or nipping device;the sixth consists in the use, in combination, of the nippingfingers, orequivalent nipping device, the bed-plate, and a feeding device, with asewing mechanism, to sew the fabric while the same is being creased ormarked for a subsequent line of stitching; the seventh, in constructingthe arm to which the fingers or nipping device are attached so as to beadjustable for various widths of tucks or plaits; the eighth consists inthe use of a supplemental spring and an adjusting device for increasingor diminishing the force of the spring, for the adjustments required forthe different widths of tucks or plaits, and various sortsof fabrics, incombination with the fingers or equivalent nipping device; the ninthconsists in combining with the apparatus an adjustable gage, by which toguide the work.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I'willproceed to describe the same.

In Figure 1 of the drawing I have shown my improved apparatus asattached to a sewing-machine, in this instance employing the ordinaryeye-pointed needle 1, a looper, 2, and a feeding device, consisting of apresser-foot, 3, roughened underneath, and having a backand-forthmotion, being generally known as the A. B. Wilson rouglnsurface feed butthese parts; serve chiefly to illustrate the connection of my improvedmarking apparatus with 'a sewing-machine, the apparatus beingsubstantially the same whether connected with a sewing-machine or not,and without reference to the special construction of such machine.

A is the frame of the apparatus, to which is fixed a spring, B, and tothis is attached an arm, 0, carrying at its outer end the nipping ormarking device, which, as here shown, is formed of a narrow. strip ofmetal, d, the ends of which are pointed or formed with a chiseledge, asseen in Fig. 3, and set in opposite diagonal positions, as represented,so that a downward motion, forcing them against a plane surface,willdraw them together, while the diagonal thrust that is incidentalwill cause the points or chisel-edges to take hold of the fabric and nipor pinch up its surface, as shown in Fig. 3. A small screw, 4, fixed bya checknut, 5,'adjusts or determines the amount of fabric seized, byenlarging or diminishing the normal space between the ends or points ofthese nipping-fingers d.

I-prefer to impart the downward motion to the nipping device by theforce of a spring,

and this is the object of spring B. The form of this spring is notessential; but to vary its force for adaptation to the peculiarities ofyarious fabrics, I have a supplemental spring, 13, and a screw, B Astiff material requires more force than that which is thin and flexible.,7

D is an auxiliary arm, fixed to the spring B, and which reaches over theneedle-screw 6 of the sewing-machine, so that the arm 0 and nippingdevice. are lifted with every upward movement of the needle, the springsB B bringing it down, as before stated.

The arm 0 is made adjustable on the spring B, and fastened bythethumb-screw 7. Bythis means the nipping device may be placed at anydistance from the needle, and thus mark for tucks or plaits of any widthdesired.

The different widths of tucks will sometimes require a variation of theforce of the spring B, a wide tuck requiring usually more force. of thenipping-fingers than a narrow one, in consequence of doing the WOTkfarther from the fulcrum of the arm 0. This variation of force is alsoadjusted by the spring and screw B B.

When attached to a sewing-machineflhebed or plate thereof is usually asufficient support for the fabric against the downward pressure .of thenipping-fingers; but the apparatus is provided with the plate E tosupport the fabric, inasmuch as some sewing-machines have not sufficientmargin of supporting-surface in front of the needle. Where this issufficient,

however, I prefer to use it, and I therefore have the plate E pivoted tothe frame A of the apparatus, so that itmay be turned out of the way, asrepresented by the dotted lines in Fig. l.

To move the fabric forward in the interval between the action thereon ofthe nipping-fingers, I employ a suitable feeding device, which may beany ordinary feed used in sewingmachines. That shown in the drawingconsists of a pressure-foot, 3, roughened on its under surface, having aback-and-forth motion imparted to it, and generally known as the .A. B.Wilson rough-surface feed. The apparatus is attached to the machine by athumb-screw, 8. The object of combining said apparatus with asewing-machine is to enable the operator to savetime, as by thiscombining the two both operations may be carried on at once, and a lineof stitching formed in the fabric while the latter is being marked for asubsequent line of sewing;

To facilitate the guiding of the fabric, I pro= vide a gage, F, attachedto the frame of the apparatus in any usual manner. For the purposes ofsuch gage a selfsewer, so called, is well adapted. i i

In the above invention many of theparts may be modified in mechanicalconstruction without changing the essential nature of said invention.When the nipping or marking device is raised, the fingers d are open, asseen in Fig. 1, and when forced down against the fabric, the impingementof the fingers d against the surface. thereof, supported by the plate E,causes the fingers, in consequence of their diagonal position, to closetogether, pinching up the fabric, as shown'in Fig. 3. When the markingdevice is raised, the fabric is slightly advanced, and the marker againdescends, and so on, thus forming a line or ridge on the fabric by asuccession of nips or pinches.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The, employment of the nippingfingers to form ridges or creasesinfabrics, for the purposesspecifiedfwhen arranged with re-' spect to andoperating upon the fabric in substantially the manner described.

2. The combination, with the markingdevice described, of the plate F,for the pur-' pose specified.

3. The use of the screw 4, or its equivalent, to adjust the fingers tothe fabric, as specified, and to determine the amount to be seized.

4. In combination with the marking device, possessing thefunctions andmode of operation described, the spring B, arm 0, and auxiliary arm D,or' its equivalent, as specified.

5. In combination, the said marking device, the bed-plate E, orequivalent, anda feeding device, for the purposes specified. i 1

6. In combination, the marking device, bedplate, feeding device, and astitch-forming mechanism, substantially as and for the "purposespecified. Y i

7 So constructing and combining the arm 0 and spring Has to beadjustable for various widths of tucks or plaits, in combination withthe marking device. i i Q 8. The supplemental spring B" and its screw.

g hor their equivalent, for the purposes specie 9. In combination withthe aforesaid marking device, a suitable gage, F.

- Hi WL'FULLER.=

Witnesses:

-J. HADAMs,

O. ANDERSON;

